Brooks Crossing & Jim’s Local Market

Brooks Crossing & Jim’s Local Market

The year 2015 was a monumental year for the Brooks Crossing mixed-use development project. The EDA and the developer, Southeast Commerce Center Associates, L.L.C. (SECCA), the development entity formed between former Southeast Community native, Aaron Brooks, and AH Southeast Commerce Center, L.L.C., whose principal is Armada Hoffler Development Company, worked tirelessly throughout the year to commence construction on three of the major components of this transformational community project – phase one of the project’s infrastructure, the new South Police Precinct facility and the new pioneering community grocery store, Jim’s Local Market. Through a series of EDA public actions, the project began to grow from concept to reality. Deteriorating streets, outdated utilities and poorly lit project blocks were replaced with reconstructed roadways, new and reinforced private and public utilities, as well as improved streetscaping to correlate with the City’s recently renovated Jefferson Avenue Streetscape Project. The EDA also helped orchestrate the construction of the new South Police Precinct facility, located along Jefferson Avenue, between 33rd and 34th Streets. The attractive two-story facility boasts a community room, a taxi administration office and state-of-the-art technology throughout the building. This facility will replace the existing South Police Precinct currently housed in the EDA-owned Coats and Clark building. Completion of the new facility was culminated by a ribbon-cutting ceremony held at the beginning of 2016.

In June 2014, the only full-service grocery store serving the Southeast Community closed, creating a food desert for its residents. The closure left Southeast Community residents with limited fresh food options and access to the nearest grocery store three to five miles away. The EDA collaborated with Armada Hoffler Construction Company to build a grocery store facility to help serve the community and anchor the Brooks Crossing project. After a competitive process, the City and the EDA are partnering with Jim Scanlon, a grocery store executive with over 40 years experience, to create Jim’s Local Market. The mission of Jim’s Local Market is to provide the community with an accessible full-service grocery market that will offer healthy food options, while providing jobs and training to residents in the Southeast Community. The grocery store will be publicly funded and owned, including financial assistance through the New Markets Tax Credit program, and leased to the operator, Mr. Scanlon, who will have a future purchase option.